Supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack

ABSTRACT

A supporting arm for stably supporting a wall-mount metal rack includes a main body, and a hook section and a fixing plate integrally formed at an upper and a lower end, respectively, of the main body. Ribs are longitudinally provided at joints of the main body and the hook section and the fixing plate to enhance a structural strength thereat. The hook section provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover and support an outer transverse metal wire of the metal rack, so that the metal rack is stably mounted on the wall surface to provide a largely increased bearing capacity.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a supporting arm that has excellentstructural strength to stably support a wall-mount metal rack, so thatthe metal rack has a largely increased bearing capacity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A metal rack is frequently fixed to a wall surface for holding things,so that valuable space in a room could be fully utilized without theneed of spending a lot of money for a custom-made cabinet or closet. Themetal rack may be covered with curtains or drapes to define a closedstorage space and serves as, for example, a cabinet, a closet, or awardrobe. The metal rack is usually mounted to the wall surface byengaging an inner edge with hangers pre-mounted on the wall surface, andbearing an outer edge on supporting arms that are fixed at a lower endto the wall surface, so that the metal rack has a horizontal top forholding things.

FIGS. 1 and 1-1 shows a conventional metal rack 10 that includes avertically downward bent front to increase the structural strength ofthe metal rack 10, preventing the metal rack 10 from easy deformation.The metal rack 10 includes a plurality of parallelly spaced andlongitudinally extended metal wires 11 forming the top of the metal rack10, and a relatively large metal wire 12 extended across an upper outeredge of the metal rack in perpendicular to the metal wires 11.

The currently available supporting arm 13 for the metal rack 10 isformed at an upper end with a hook section 131 for sideward bearingagainst an inner side of the metal wire 12, and at a lower end with anangularly bent fixing plate 132 for mounting to the wall surface. Thehook section 131 and the upper end of the supporting arm 13 generallycontain between them an angle larger than 120 degrees, so as to protectthe hook section 131 against easy deformation under pressure. Since thistype of hook section 131 has relatively small bearing surface to holdthe metal wire 12, the supporting arm 13 fails to stably support themetal rack 10. Moreover, a joint of the conventional supporting arm 13and the fixing plate 132 is weak and tends to bend when it is subjectedto a relatively large force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a supporting armthat has enhanced structural strength and is not easily deformed, so asto reliably and stably support a wall-mount metal rack.

To achieve the above and other objects, the supporting arm forwall-mount metal rack according to the present invention mainly includesa main body, a hook section integrally formed at an upper end of themain body, and a fixing plate integrally formed at a lower end of themain body. At least one first rib is longitudinally formed at a joint ofthe main body and the hook section to protect the joint againstdeformation under pressure.

In the supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack according to the presentinvention, a second rib is longitudinally provided at an upper end ofthe main body to increase the structural strength of the main body.

For the main body of the supporting arm of the present invention to haveincreased strength, the main body is bent to form two integralsidewalls.

A third rib is longitudinally provided at a joint of the fixing plateand the main body to protect the joint against deformation underpressure.

For the fixing plate to have increased structural strength, the fixingplate is formed at two lateral edges and a lower edge with an integralsidewall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present inventionto achieve the above and other objects can be best understood byreferring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows the manner of using a conventional supporting arm forwall-mount metal rack;

FIG. 1-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 shows one manner of using a supporting arm for wall-mount metalrack according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 are partially enlarged views of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting arm for wall-mount metalrack according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 shows another manner of using the supporting arm for wall-mountmetal rack according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5-1 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 2 that shows one manner of using a supporting armfor wall-mount metal rack according to the present invention. As shown,the supporting arm, which is generally denoted by a reference number 20,is mainly used to support a metal rack 10. The metal rack 10 is fixed toa wall surface 31 by engaging an inner edge of the metal rack 10 withhooks 30 pre-mounted on the wall surface 31, and using supporting arms20 to support an outer edge of the metal rack 10, such that a top of themetal rack 10 is in a horizontal position for holding things thereon.The metal rack 10 is provided below the inner and the outer edge with atransverse metal wire 14, 12, respectively. The metal rack 10 is engagedat the inner edge with the hooks 30 by setting the inner transversemetal wire 14 in the hooks 30. A plurality of relatively small metalwires 11 are longitudinally extended and spaced between the inner andthe outer transverse metal wire 14, 12 to form the metal rack 10.

Please refer to FIG. 3 that is a perspective view of the supporting arm20 of the present invention. The supporting arm 20 is integrally formedusing a sheet metal material, and includes an elongated main body 21, ahook section 22 formed at an upper end of the main body 21, and a fixingplate 23 formed at a lower end of the main body 21. The main body 21includes two perpendicularly bent sidewalls 211, which give the mainbody 21 an enhanced structural strength. The hook section 22 is properlybent into a predetermined configuration having a forward openedhorizontal channel 221. The fixing plate 23 is also properly bent into apredetermined configuration having a flat inner surface.

At least one first rib 24 is longitudinally formed at a joint of thehook section 22 and the upper end of the main body 21 to produce asupporting effect on the hook section 22, and thereby enhances a bearingcapacity of the hook section 22 and prevents any deformation or evenbreaking at the joint of the hook section 22 and the upper end of themain body 21. However, after the at least one first rib 24 is providedat the joint of the hook section 22 and the main body 21, a point on themain body 21 immediately behind the joint has a relatively low strengthand tends to deform when a force is applied thereto. Therefore, at leastone second rib 25 is longitudinally provided at the point of the mainbody 21 behind the first rib 24. It is noted the first and the secondrib 24, 25 should be staggered to avoid locating on the same onestraight line.

Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 4-1. With the first and the second rib 24,25, the joint of the hook section 22 and the main body 21 has anexcellent structural strength, protecting the hook section 22 againstdeformation or breaking even when the hook section 22 is subjected to arelatively large pressure. As a result, it is possible for the hooksection 22 and the main body 21 to contain between them an angle assmall as 45 to 90 degrees, that is, an angle obtained by deducting abending angle of the hook section 22 from 180 degrees. The hook section22 at this angular position provides a relatively large bearing surfaceto cover and stably support the outer metal wire 12.

Since the main body 21 of the supporting arm 20 has two perpendicularlybent sidewalls 211, a joint of the main body 21 and the fixing plate 23has a U-shaped cross section. A third rib 26 is longitudinally providedat the U-shaped joint of the main body 21 and the fixing plate 23 toincrease a strength thereof, so that the U-shaped joint could bear anincreased pressure without becoming deformed or broken. As can be seenfrom FIGS. 3 and 2-2, the fixing plate 23 is provided with a throughhole 231, via which a fastening element 232 is extended into the wallsurface 31. The through hole 231 inevitably forms a weak point on thefixing plate 23. To avoid the weak point at the through hole 231 fromdeforming or breaking, a sidewall 233 is extended along two lateraledges and a lower edge of the fixing plate 23 to enhance an overallstrength thereof.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 2-1. The hook section 22 of the supportingarm 20 is provided with a slit 222 extended in a direction normal to thehorizontal channel 221 to communicate with an internal space of thechannel 221. The slit 222 has a width similar to an outer diameter ofthe longitudinal metal wire 11 on the top of the metal rack 10. When thehook section 22 covers the outer transverse metal wire 12, the metalwire 12 is located in the horizontal channel 221 and the slit 222 isaligned and engaged with one metal wire 11, so that the hook section 22is prevented from moving laterally relative to the metal rack 10. Inthis manner, the supporting arm 20 could more stably support the metalrack 10.

In manufacturing the supporting arm 20, it is also possible for the hooksection 22 to have an overall width slightly smaller than a spacebetween two adjacent longitudinal metal wires 11 forming the top of themetal rack 10, so that the hook section 22 could be located between twoadjacent metal wires 11 with the transverse metal wire 12 seated in thehorizontal channel 221, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5-1.

In either case, since the horizontal channel 221 of the hook section 22provides a relatively large bearing surface to cover the metal wire 12,the supporting arm 20 could always stably support the metal rack 10.

Since the supporting arm 20 of the present invention is formed byproperly bending a sheet metal material into a predeterminedconfiguration, it has a structural strength sufficient to bear arelatively large pressure, making the metal rack 10 safe for use andtrusted by consumers.

1. A supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack, comprising a main body, ahook section integrally provided at an upper end of said main body, anda fixing plate integrally provided at a lower end of said main body;said supporting arm being made of a sheet metal material, and saidfixing plate being properly bent into a predetermined configurationhaving a flat inner surface; said supporting arm being characterized inthat said hook section is a forward opened horizontal channel, and thatat least one first rib is longitudinally provided at a joint of saidhook section and the upper end of said main body to prevent deformationor breaking at said joint.
 2. The supporting arm for wall-mount metalrack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body has at least onesecond rib longitudinally provided at an upper part thereof.
 3. Thesupporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid first rib provided at said joint of said hook section and the upperend of said main body and said second rib provided at the upper part ofsaid main body are staggered without locating on the same one straightline.
 4. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said hook section and said main body contain betweenthem an angle of 45 to 90 degrees, so that said hook section provides arelatively large bearing surface to cover and support a transverse metalwire located at an outer edge of a metal rack.
 5. The supporting arm forwall-mount metal rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hook sectionis provided with a slit extended in a direction normal to saidhorizontal channel and communicating with an inner space of saidhorizontal channel.
 6. The supporting arm for wall-mount metal rack asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising a third rib longitudinallyprovided at a joint of said main body and said fixing plate to enhance astructural strength at said joint.
 7. The supporting arm for wall-mountmetal rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fixing plate has asidewall extended along two lateral edges and a lower edge of saidfixing plate to increase an overall strength of said fixing plate.